I am a bit confused about delegates in an election. Can anyone clarify?

1. 89

   Faith Reaperposted 9 years ago

   I am a bit confused about delegates in an election.  Can anyone clarify?
   
   I know that each candidate running for president has delegates and when I went to vote there were quite a bit to vote for under my choice for president.  How are these delegates chosen initially?  I know they go in the summer and cast a vote for the state that voted for them, but I am still a bit confused about the whole process and exactly what role the delegates play.  Anyone else confused a bit? Thank you for taking the time to clarify. 
   
   

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2. 93

   Jackie Lynnleyposted 9 years ago

   OK, I am a bit dumb about it too but the way I understand it is we have state representatives either Democrat or Republican and they are the ones who put the votes in for a candidate so that is how someone who gets the people's vote may not necessarily get the delegates vote. There are different rules in different states. Some if you get 50%  of peoples votes you get them all. (Delegates) Some less. Some have super-delegates that can vote anyway they want and that is how Sanders won the vote but Hillary got the delegates. Differs by states. Really dumb.
   Does that help? lol
   I say we are paying a lot of people for nothing, Just let the people vote. I also think we should vote on many more things that government just decides for themselves. We have many laws that are not people rule. That is how they get funding from us on what the majority does not agree on. Not right at all no matter who is in charge.

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   1. 89

      Faith Reaperposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Oh, yes, that helps a lot to clarify!  It does seem people are being paid to do nothing. Well, you understand it a lot better than I do. I agree about what you are saying about funding.

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      tsadjatkoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The superdelegates are Democrat elected officials and other "party insiders" allowed to support whichever candidate they like. Clinton Has a 45-To-1 'Superdelegate' Advantage Over Sanders (359 to 8) If that's not an ace in the hole what is?

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3. 83

   tamarawilhiteposted 9 years ago

   When the country was founded, Washington DC or wherever they held the party convention could take several weeks of travel to reach.
   The delegate system allowed each county or caucus to vote locally, determine its tally for the national convention, and then send its delegates to the convention to vote as the local population decided.

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   1. 89

      Faith Reaperposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Oh, that makes perfect sense and thank you, Tamara, for the history lesson.

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